FinePix F550 EXR – the perfect compact, anywhere in the world

05.01.2011

FinePix F550

FinePix F550

FinePix F550

Packed with features and loaded with some of the latest technological innovations, the new Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR is set to take the premium compact camera market by storm.
Following in the footsteps of the award‐winning FinePix F200 EXR and F300 EXR models, this latest recruit to the range is the ideal camera for discerning point‐and‐shoot photographers or SLR users who want to travel light but don’t want to compromise image quality and picture‐taking versatility. Superb results are assured with exciting new features including an innovative 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, advanced GPS functions, high speed shooting capabilities, a 15x wide‐angle zoom lens, Full HD movie functionality and an improved user interface. With a stylish design and pocketable dimensions, the FinePix F550 EXR is set to become the must‐have compact in 2011.
Award winning EXR technology married with BSI‐CMOS for breakthrough improvement.
“Shoot with beautiful quality and never miss the moment”. This is our concept for EXR‐CMOS and the backed up technologies behind are below.
‐High Sensitivity

With conventional sensor design, light has to pass through a layer of wiring before it reaches the photo diodes. This reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor. But with a BSI (Backside Illumination) sensor, the wiring layer and photo diodes are reversed so sensitivity is improved; a benefit that’s particularly obvious when shooting in low light conditions.

‐High Speed

Thanks to newly developed EXR Processor and BSI CMOS, super fast transfer circuit made it possible for fast process and reading the files. The real benefit here is; it can take high speed shooting and Full HD movie.

‐Intelligent Processor

The camera can now recognize 27 scenes including blue sky (sky), green leaves (greenery), sunsets and even backlit scenes. According to each scene, camera can set the perfect setting (AF, exposure, white balance and flash) and take the best quality picture automatically. Therefore, all you need to do is press the shutter and you will get the perfect finish easily.

The EXR processor also has the capability to spot and reduce purple colour fringing, most common on dark subjects against light backgrounds, and improves the resolution at the corners of an image for more uniform image sharpness.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of the EXR processor, however, is the new Rich User Interface, which employs Vector fonts and graphics to dramatically improve the appearance of the menus. Users can wave goodbye to pixellated graphics and enjoy smooth text and icons on the camera’s menus, now presented on a LCD screen.

For users who struggle to find images on increasingly‐large capacity memory cards, improved image searching capabilities will come in very handy. Now, searching through thousands of images can take seconds, not minutes. Once you’ve found the shots, it’s easy to put them in to a photobook using the Photobook Assist function where the camera creates the book, tags the images.

‐EXR Array Technology
The EXR technology adds further versatility by modifying its behaviour according to the lighting condition. Users can either let the EXR Auto mode to choose the correct setting itself, or pick from three manually selected options:
• Resolution Priority mode should be chosen when you’re after exceptional image quality. The FinePix F550 EXR uses the full 16 megapixel resolution to produce images that can be printed out at A3 size straight from the camera.
• High ISO & Low Noise Priority mode is the one to choose in low light conditions where the combination with the BSI sensor makes for superb results. To achieve this, the F550 EXR uses Pixel Fusion where it doubles the size of the pixels to make them more sensitive to light.
• Finally, Dynamic Range Priority mode cleverly takes two pictures and combines them to provide a range of up to 1600%. This makes light work of scenes with lots of contrast such as a landscape on a summer’s day or a portrait where the light source is behind the subject.
With these unique sensor combinations, capturing great pictures has never been easier.
Keep up with the action – no matter how fast it’s moving
The FinePix F550 EXR isn’t just clever; it’s quick as well, boasting a range of features that will keep pace with even the fastest moving action without compromising picture quality.
At full 16 megapixel resolution, the FinePix F550 EXR will deliver up to 8 frames per second for up to 8 frames before it has to pause to take a breath. If you want a longer burst of images or a faster frame rate, it can capture 11 frames per second at 8 megapixel resolution for up to 16 frames or the same frame rate for up to 32 frames at 4 megapixel resolution. At these sorts of speeds and resolutions, no other compact camera comes close.
There’s also no need to worry about slow auto focusing or shutter lag conspiring against you; the F550 EXR’s contrast AF system takes no longer than 0.16 seconds to focus. So, it’s more likely to be human reactions that fail before the camera, but the F550 EXR even has that eventually covered as well with the Best Frame Capture Mode. Here, the camera starts recording images from the moment you half‐press the shutter release to focus. When you do take a picture, the F550 EXR also capture eight frames before or after you’ve taken the shot to make sure you get one perfect image. Friends and family will think you’ve turned into a professional sports photographer overnight.
A Fujifilm first – built‐in GPS
Fujifilm recognised the benefits of GPS tagging way back in 1997 when they became the first company to introduce an optional GPS recording device for a digital camera on the DS‐300. Today, the FinePix F550 EXR becomes the first Fujifilm model to have the facility built in and offers a wide range of user benefits to make the most of the technology.
Regardless of where you are in the world, the FinePix F550 EXR will recognise your location and display it either as longitude and latitude or by place name thanks to the camera’s embedded 0.5 million list of locations. A tag is also placed on the image which, when using place names, can easily be searched for, enabling you to quickly find shots of a specific location or point of interest.
Once images are found using the search function, it’s simple for users to create a photobook using the Photobook Assist function. Just choose the images you want in the book, mark them (including which image you want to use on the front cover) and then you can even preview the book on the rear LCD.
Additional functionality is also provided by the Photo Navigation function, where you can find your way back to where a photo was taken. For example, if you took a shot at a restaurant that you’d like to return to, simply find the picture and the FinePix F550 EXR will provide the distance and direction you need to travel from your existing location to get back there.
For those who want to re‐trace their steps and map a route of their travels, the Route Logging function is sure to appeal. The FinePix F550 EXR stores location data every 10 minutes* and, once the images are downloaded to a PC through MyFinePix Studio (bundled image viewing software), a map of the route, along with the pictures you took along the way is created using Google Maps.
* Anytime On or Only Power On must be selected for data to be logged.
Huge zoom range, tiny camera
t’s a minor miracle that Fujifilm has managed to pack such a high level specification into the FinePix F550 EXR’s compact dimensions, but it’s even more impressive that the camera also features a 15x optical zoom.
Despite having a body that measures just 22.9mm wide, the zoom range extends from a wide‐angle setting of 24mm through to 360mm (35mm equivalents) giving users a huge range of shooting options from sweeping landscapes through to tightly‐cropped details. Plus, image quality and sharpness is assured thanks to the Fujinon lens and new dual core EXR processor that automatically reduces colour fringing and boosts corner resolution for uniform image sharpness.
Using the longer focal lengths can cause camera shake, but the FinePix F550 EXR has the bases covered fighting camera shake on three fronts. First, the sensor moves to counter any hand movements. Second, sensitivity is boosted using Pixel Fusion to allow faster shutter speeds and third, especially for F550 EXR, “Advanced anti blur” mode in EXR Auto (need for the users to select EXR Auto) where a sequence of four images are taken and then combined to provide one, to realize shake‐free result (camera will decide automatically according to the shooting scenes).
Full HD for stunning movies
Fujifilm recognises that the world doesn’t just revolve around still images, which is why the FinePix F550 EXR features high quality Full HD movie capability especially under low light condition with Pixel Fusion Movie technology. Here, pixels are doubled up to make them more sensitive to low light so it is perfect for the night scenery! Not only does the FinePix F550 EXR capture movies in stunning Full HD at 30 frames per second, it also boasts stereo sound for high quality audio and the industry standard H.264 (MOV) format. Favoured by broadcasters and Blu‐Ray manufacturers, H.264 (MOV) format produces file sizes that are smaller and more manageable than the conventional AVI format. What’s more, they’re compatible with a wide range of websites and applications, which makes it easer for users to share content on sites including YouTube.
If it’s speedy movie capture you’re after, the F550 EXR also offers a class‐leading selection of high speed movie capture options. F550 EXR’s incredible 320 frames per second capture at 320 x 112 pixels will be fast enough for any situation. But if it’s higher quality you’re after, you can also capture the action at 160 frames per second at 320 x 240 pixels or 80 frames per second at 640 x 480 pixels.
Don’t want GPS? No problem
While the FinePix F550 EXR with its GPS features is a great camera for photographers who like to travel, Fujifilm recognises that not every user requires GPS functionality. For this reason, a second model – the FinePix F500 EXR – has been introduced, which offers a virtually identical specification, without GPS.
Other differences between the two models include high speed capture on the F500 EXR of 3 frames per second at 16 megapixels for up to 3 frames, 6 frames per second for 6 frames at 8 megapixels or 12 frames per second for 12 frames at 4 megapixels. The F500 EXR will also be available in a choice of five colours for the style‐conscious photographer, while the F550 EXR is only available in a stylish black finish with red highlights.
Fujifilm FinePix F550/F500 EXR key features:

All‐new 16 megapixel EXR CMOS sensor

GPS functionality*

15x optical zoom covering 24‐360mm (35mm equivalent)

Fast AF

3.0 inch LCD with 460,000 pixel and new Rich User Interface using Vector fonts and graphics